Apr. 28—EFFINGHAM — A parking variance took center stage Tuesday night as members of the Effingham Zoning Board of Appeals heard a request by BCW Holdings.
Casey Walk, representing BCW Holdings, which plans to locate a business at 302 South Walnut street called Ginger Ale's, testified in favor of the variance.
"Today we are here because we are asking for variance for a reduced number of parking places," Walk said. "The business that we have will not have a large number of employees."
She said the problem is the city requires more parking spaces than are needed for the business. The business would be a drive-thru-only operation. Walk said if they were required to offer more parking spaces they would not be able to extend a privacy fence that will run along the full length of the property on the south side.
"So, if we can reduce the number of parking spaces required, we will be able to then extend the privacy space all the way to the very east side of the property, which will help with the neighbors as far as traffic flow," she said.
She said Ginger Ale's would employ five to six employees during a shift. Walk told the board their proposal would allow for employees to park and one handicapped parking space.
Effingham City Attorney Tracy Willenborg checked the city's requirement for parking and found there should be 15 parking spaces based on the square footage of the property.
"So you are seeking a variance to reduce the number of parking spaces from 15 parking spaces to seven?" Willenborg asked.
"Yes. This is only a drive-thru-only facility," Walk testified. "The only foot traffic coming in would be for delivery services such as Door Dash."
She said the only opposition they had about the property was a neighbor living directly behind the property on the east end.
"That is why we would like to extend the fence all the way to the end of the property; just in consideration of him," said Walk.
Willenborg asked Walk if the fence would be used as a traffic buffer from the drive-thru for the residential property across the alley from Ginger Ale's and asked what the height of the fence would be.
"The fence would be six foot tall," Walk said.
"Will this be a solid vinyl fence?" board member Andy St. John asked.
Walk confirmed it would be a solid vinyl fence south of the property.
Willenborg asked Walk if she had any objection to the property being restricted as long as the business operates as Ginger Ale's.
"If you sell it in the future and it is utilized for some other type of use or enterprise would you have an objection to a condition on the variance that it must be a Ginger Ale's or drive-thru-only enterprise?" Willenborg asked.